Jury Duty

[aprilgail]

I just got my notice. I have to call weekly for two months. It has come at the worst time. I'm going to beg the Clerk to defer me to the next period with documentation of why. I know I only have a 50/50 chance she will agree.

My little black cloud won't go away. What have your experiences been?

If the date is not good for me I just don't go and wait for the next notice to come-

 

[DCLMP]

If/when you get your jury summons, then just ignore it (and I agree with @Moliphino, that's how I read your previous statements). Let us know what happens.

The one time I was on jury duty, my company paid my normal rate (and I was hourly), I had to turn in the per diem I got from the court (I think it was $15). NOT a state law to require that as far as I know.

Um. Okay.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

uh no. You send back the form explaining why you can't go. For many people including myself it would be a financial hardship. I cannot afford to takes weeks or months off work without pay. There are a number of reasons people can't do it. Childcare, homeschooling, health problems, running a business etc. You can't abandon your kids and file for bankruptcy to sit on a trial. In some states employers are required to pay you. That would certainly makes it easier.

Although that is typically the purpose of getting a jury "of your peers". If you excluded everyone based on what you listed you wouldn't have a jury, certainly not an unbiased one if everyone was of the exact same.

While we can look at it as a burden most of us (because I'm counting some people who think it would be okay) if we found ourselves needing a jury because we ourselves are on trial wouldn't want people who only fit into too limited of a category.

And appeals are a possibility if the jury is selected in a way that may conflict with the situation at hand.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If the date is not good for me I just don't go and wait for the next notice to come-

I'm assuming you call in or do what is instructed on your postcard rather than simply ignore it?

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

In Philly less than 40% respond or show up. DH and I are rule followers so we show up which means we get called EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR since moving here in 2015. He finally got picked for a jury and served for a 3 day trial last year so he is good for 3 years. It's annoying and I will never get picked, but they send the summons and I go. $15 per diem which wouldn't cover parking and barely covers the train ticket to get there.

 

[Allison]

Your previous post sounded like you were just ignoring it entirely, which would definitely get you in trouble.

Yes, it did.

 

[DCLMP]

I'm assuming you call in or do what is instructed on your postcard rather than simply ignore it?

Another assumption.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Another assumption.

Why are you answering for another poster?

 

[DCLMP]

Why are you answering for another poster?

Why does it even matter? If someone never responds to a jury duty notice that's there business.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Why does it even matter? If someone never responds to a jury duty notice that's there business.

Because I didn't ask you that question. You've already explained yourself in other posts. I was asking another poster a question that pertains to them and their experience. No need to reply on their behalf.

 

[DCLMP]

Because I didn't ask you that question. You've already explained yourself in other posts. I was asking another poster a question that pertains to them and their experience. No need to reply on their behalf.

Hopefully they come back and solve the mystery. I know I'll sleep better knowing.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Hopefully they come back and solve the mystery. I know I'll sleep better knowing.

You, personally, needn't worry about whether they answer or not. you just told us it was their business so you don't need to think about it. I'm okay if they answer or not, trust me, it's Friday and you're putting entirely too much into a benign question

 

[Dznypal]

Interesting comment about ingnoring the jury summons that comes in the mail. The courts have no way of knowing if it was actually delivered or not. Sure they can mail it out but after that it’s in the hands of the post office and that’s been a mess. Seeing you don’t have to sign it there’s no way of knowing for sure.

 

[_19disnA]

I guess some can claim to do whatever they want regarding a notice of jury duty. HOWEVER, telling OTHERS to ignore it is simply dreadful advice. There can be consequences for failing to respond.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

The courts cannot prove you received their jury summons. They have no proof it was correctly delivered and received by the intended person.

 

[aprilgail]

I'm assuming you call in or do what is instructed on your postcard rather than simply ignore it?

nope- just ignore it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

nope- just ignore it.

Thanks for responding. At least in my county they say you'd be held in contempt with a possible fine up to $500 although I concede it's a valid point brought up by others regarding delivery of mail. To date I've not heard of one person who has gotten jury duty but didn't know it because the notification was lost in the mail (this isn't me asking for that one random poster to come out of the woodwork to say "actually" I'm not asking for examples) but it's not impossible that this could happen.

My mom's prior roommate actually got a jury duty summons after he had moved out and it appears he had not updated his address yet. For us in our county at least it's tied to your voter registration and DLs (so you could have a DL but not be registered to vote but still be chosen for jury duty). A change of address either done online by you or at the DMV office automatically updates the voter registration information (same as name changes). But we all know changing your address isn't always done in a timely manner. I know she contacted him to let him know of his summons.

It does have me wondering would my county send a secondary notice or not? IDK it doesn't list that information online.

 

[aprilgail]

Thanks for responding. At least in my county they say you'd be held in contempt with a possible fine up to $500 although I concede it's a valid point brought up by others regarding delivery of mail. To date I've not heard of one person who has gotten jury duty but didn't know it because the notification was lost in the mail (this isn't me asking for that one random poster to come out of the woodwork to say "actually" I'm not asking for examples) but it's not impossible that this could happen.

My mom's prior roommate actually got a jury duty summons after he had moved out and it appears he had not updated his address yet. For us in our county at least it's tied to your voter registration and DLs (so you could have a DL but not be registered to vote but still be chosen for jury duty). A change of address either done online by you or at the DMV office automatically updates the voter registration information (same as name changes). But we all know changing your address isn't always done in a timely manner. I know she contacted him to let him know of his summons.

It does have me wondering would my county send a secondary notice or not? IDK it doesn't list that information online.

I have never heard of anyone getting fined but I guess it is possible, just don't personally know anyone. If they made it easier to work around times that people are available it would make it much easier and more likely to do it- I work for a charity and we have certain times that we are SUPER busy, August and November/ December I am swamped and it is just me and my boss so its not like anyone else can be here or take over my job while I am out- call me any other time and its fine- but to expect people to do jury duty when they had a vacation booked and paid for is just not happening. At my job for 30 years I actually liked getting called because i hated that job and they paid you in full to serve jury duty- the only issue was depending on your days off you could be screwed- if you had like Tuesdays and Wednesdays off then you were expected to do jury duty mon-Fri if on a case but then go into work on Saturday and Sunday and work so that sucked.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have never heard of anyone getting fined but I guess it is possible, just don't personally know anyone. If they made it easier to work around times that people are available it would make it much easier and more likely to do it- I work for a charity and we have certain times that we are SUPER busy, August and November/ December I am swamped and it is just me and my boss so its not like anyone else can be here or take over my job while I am out- call me any other time and its fine- but to expect people to do jury duty when they had a vacation booked and paid for is just not happening. At my job for 30 years I actually liked getting called because i hated that job and they paid you in full to serve jury duty- the only issue was depending on your days off you could be screwed- if you had like Tuesdays and Wednesdays off then you were expected to do jury duty mon-Fri if on a case but then go into work on Saturday and Sunday and work so that sucked.

I def. agree conflicts would be eased if there was more flexibility there. In my county they do say you can contact to reschedule but it doesn't lay out some of the information others have shared like how many times or for how long (as in weeks, days, months) can you push it out so you wouldn't know until you either send back via mail or e-mail with your explanation of why. There are valid reasons why someone couldn't reasonably make a certain timeframe work but aren't trying to eschew it.

 

[3rd_time_the_charm]

I'm a ding dong who missed the joke, but in all fairness, agree - do your hurty and don't be hurt you have to - Eacarlson is who we should follow. Signed I drink too many choices in the NC mountains